Betobeto-san - べとべとさん - [Yokai]

Betobeto-san - べとべとさん. 

•About this yokai: BetoBeto San or "Mr Footsteps" is a formless yokai representing the feeling of being followed in the dark, stalks people walking home alone at night. - if you've ever found yourself walking alone in the dead of night down a dark alley and you suddenly had the eerie feeling that someone was following you, you thought you heard foot steps or felt a vibration, but there's definitely nobody around, chances are you're being stalked by beto-beto san, the spectre will often synchronize to your pace, following you for as long as it can.The only part of it you can detect is the signature clacking of his wooden geta sandals. 

Fortunately, This invisible yokai actually quite courteous, they will leave you be if you step to the side and say “After you BetoBeto-San!” - with a skip and a clack, it'll then continue down the road. - Sometimes they will refuse to go ahead, unless you lend him a light first. (He's lonely &/or afraid of the dark?) - People that lend them the light will find it returned on their homes front step in the morning.

 • History: Shigeru Mizuki [of gegege kitaro fame] invented the general 'look'/character design for this yôkai in his bestiary works in the 60s, giving it a transparent round body with a big friendly, yet eerie smile. before his illustrations, there no earlier illustrations of this yokai, but the oral history goes back a very long time. 

• Similar yokai: There are quite a few regional variants of beto-beto san:  they're usually named after different onomatopoeic sound effects. - for instance in snowy climates they're called "Bisha-bisha-san" which appears shortly after, or during snowfall - in tosa theres another invisible yokai called "Tsue-tsuki" it makes the sound of a cane that tapping the ground instead, its said that if you hear it you'll die. (makes me wonder if teke-teke is a relative.)

See also: Bakezori, audio phenomena

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